Has social media spawned a lazy generation?

Yes, I’m talking about those pesky Gen Z. But please, let me explain myself…

Before we start, I’ll give you a little disclaimer. I do not believe a whole generation of people are lazy, but some aspects of our society are becoming lazy and it’s Gen Z’s fault! What aspects of society do I hear you say? Drum roll please… It’s social media, but more specifically, it’s features of social media that are seeping into traditional media.

Is the cinema dead?

Film is one of those traditional mediums. Personally, I adore the cinema experience. There’s no home setup, as hard as you try, that can beat a proper theatre environment. Seemingly however, the cinema experience is being fazed out. 

All the signs are there…

The last few weeks have proven that cinema, as we know it, is in a vulnerable state. It was a new trailer from Netflix that first raised eyebrows for me. The ‘Don’t Look Up’ trailer, by big time director Adam McKay, now sits pretty on 12 million YouTube views. 

However, it was its insane ensemble cast that caught my attention. Incredibly, the film stars: Leonardo Dicaprio, Jonah Hill, Jennifer Lawrence, Meryl Streep, Ariana Grande, Cate Blanchett, Timothée Chalamet, Matthew Perry (random), to just name a few…Surely a cast of such magnitude guarantees a box office smash? Yet it’s getting a Netflix release. Why?

TikTok

I’ll tell you why! Gen Z and TikTok. Gen Z’s obsession with TikTok, and short form content in general, has created a generation with short attention spans. Earlier this year, TikTok reportedly overtook YouTube in US average watch time. Furthermore, Gen Z spend roughly 4.5 hours on social media each day. If we can’t get Gen Z to watch aYouTube video over a few TikToks, how are we going to get them to watch a movie at the cinema? 

The big social media companies know this and it means social media platforms are catering to a generation with short attention spans. Am I blaming Gen Z when in fact other generations are hooked on short form content to? Someone has to be the scapegoat. 

Every platform wants to do it all…

Predictably, all the big online players have noticed the desire for short form content, but what are they doing about it? They’re making their platforms multi-purpose. In 2021, it seems social media platforms act like entertainment hubs for all possible content. Instagram has ‘Reels’, ‘Instagram Live’, ‘IGTV’. YouTube has ‘YouTube Premium’, ‘YouTube Music‘ and now ‘YouTube Shorts’. Netflix have even tried their own type of short form content. Undoubtedly, all these platforms want to keep you on their site, or app, for as long as possible. Keeping all types of content in one place is the best way of doing that. 

Netflix ensures virality 

This blog may have sounded a bit moany, mainly because I love the cinema so much and I don’t want it to die, but I have to admit...Netflix is damn convenient. Yes nothing beats the cinema experience, but would I rather pay £10 a month for unlimited movies & TV shows, or £20 for one trip to the cinema (including popcorn)? Netflixs’ subscription model is now common across the globe, and it certainly makes the big bucks. Hence why everybody who's anybody, (Disney, Apple, HBO, Amazon), all have their own. Due to the fact most series release all their episodes at once, Netflix has nailed the convenience factor. 

Consequently, this convenience allows for virality. Just look at ‘Squid Game’. 142 million households have now watched the Korean thriller making it Netflixs’ biggest launch to date. Alongside its worldwide appeal, the virality has arisen from the show's convenient nature, with all 9 episodes released at once. This just isn’t possible without the internet, and TV & film producers know this. The insane numbers from Squid Game will only convince more film makers that a Netflix release is the way to go.

What’s going to happen?

Well, that’s the million dollar question right now. The newest film in the James Bond franchise, ‘No Time To Die’, had a successful return at the box office. However, the film was based on an existing successful franchise and marketed as Daniel Craig's last ever outing. It couldn’t fail. Will others take confidence from this? Or is a Netflix release the safer option? With 1 in 5 cinemas still shut worldwide, Netflix may just win and therefore kill our cinemas. 

Netflix has experimented with short-form content but would short-from platforms, such as TikTok, ever think about doing longer form content? With every platform trying to do everything, you just never know.